210 APO-Sironar-N: fit a closed Meridian 45B?

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Haven't been able to find one in person, neither have I found any Rodenstock charts that include height above the lens board dimensions (did find such a table for Schneider lenses, however).

Can anyone measure theirs to see if it's less than 1-1/2" (38mm). Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

The overall length of the 150 Apo N is 51mm. The lens protrudes 31mm in front of the board.

On a Linhof this lens is supposed to be used in a recessed board when it is to be closed into the camera. Make sure that there is nothing on the track assembly that would hit the rim or the front of the lens. Linhofs have a circular hole in front of the lens in the track to clear the lens when the bed is closed.

[Bob Salomon]

Oops, you were looking for the 210mm. That lens is 66mm long and the lens protrudes 39mm without a lens cap.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

And the 210?

[Bob Salomon]

See my second reply.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Thank you, Bob! (Must have both been typing at the same moment.)

Wondering whether I might just be able to squeak an APO 210mm f5.6 in there after all? The Sironar N looks promising. My Meridian 45B front standard has an internal step that'd yield another 1/8" with a slightly smaller flat board, easily. And the stepped down lens board itself could further be machined to 1/16" thickness, for a 3/16" (.1875" or 4.76 mm) improvement. Sheesh, that's 3.75mm to play with-- gotta be a lens cap that'd work, eh? There's exactly 4" between the Meridian's rails and a 3.75" wide pooch-out in the bed, to boot.

I've already combed the Schneider charts to find that a new 210 APO-Symmar-L has too large a rear barrel (80mm O/D) since I've only got a 76mm opening in my front standard.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Won a 210 Caltar II-N auction today so I'll soon enough find out!

[rfesk]

Let us know what you discover when you get your lens. I also have a Meridian 45B and would like to know.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Whew, it fits! I built the lens plate with a 5/32" recess out of solid 1/4" plate over the weekend, without having the lens in hand yet. I was a bit too conservative with running the mill close to the edge I didn't want to get into the milled steps on the reverse of the plate (now the only light trap). Which meant I did have a bit more milling once to do once I actually got it and test fit to see that aperture control lever needed more clearance than I'd first guestimated.

The standard Caltar lens hood allows for closing the 45B without any issues.

Shutter tested accurately up to 1/250 but this and 1/400 are running a little slow, about 1/2 a stop. Wonder whether Copal #1 shutters get saggy through use or if perhaps just the higher speeds have an adjustment to bring it back to spec?

No matter, if tomorrow morning's test shots pan out as sharp, this lens is seriously in the running for one of year's the best-sniped bargains off eBay (came in under two bills-- incl shipping).

FWIW, the Nikkor SW 90mm f/8 also fits my 45B (on an unrecessed board) with the proviso that I had to scrounge a different cap to get it the door to shut.

[Mark Sampson]

I wouldn't worry about the slow 1/400 speed. Few leaf shutters are accurate at their fastest marked speed, in any state of adjustment. As long as you know what the speed actually is, you can then expose accurately. (I'll admit to almost never needing to use 1/400 myself.)